The use of traditional internal combustion (IC) engine results in pollution and the destruction of the environment. Additionally, while using an internal combustion engine much of the generated energy is lost as heat. Another drawback, to the continued use of ICE vehicles, is that they rely on oil reserves, which are known to be a diminishing resource. However, because of the amount of time and energy spent developing IC engine vehicles, there is a considerable amount of existing infrastructure. This infrastructure gives a vehicle owner the assurance that there will be locations to refuel or repair the vehicle in virtually any country on the planet.
A new trend in automotive technology is the use of electric vehicles (EV). Because these vehicles do not consume fuel, EVs reduce the operating cost for a user. In addition to lowered operating costs, EVs do not produce carbon emissions, and therefore help to reduce the rate of environmental pollution. Despite these benefits, the infrastructure for refueling and repairing EVs does not have significant global penetration. Therefore, when choosing between IC engine vehicles and EVs, a user is often presented with the tradeoff of reliability versus environmental conscientiousness.
The present invention, the generator and electrical motor for multi-axle vehicles, addresses these issues by marrying the benefits of an EV to the reliability of an IC generator. The present invention uses an IC generator to produce the electrical power required to operate the electric motor. By coupling a plurality of generators to the axles of a vehicle, the present invention produces enough energy to charge a battery bank and power an electric motor. Using an onboard computer, the present invention is able to determine when sufficient power is being produced. The present invention then switches off the IC generator and relies on electric power alone. The power stored in the battery bank is used to power the electric motor and any other vehicle systems, such as lights, air conditioners, radios, and the like. Because the present invention employs a plurality of axle-coupled generators, the system can be adapted for use with any multi-axle vehicle, such as trains, cars, tanks, trucks, and the like.